Between Memory and Terror
Wijiak, the Ghost Girl instructor of the Northern Pavilion, possessed a far more playful streak than I had anticipated.
"Did you leave these body parts out on purpose?"
Something was floating inside a jar carved from crystal. It wasn't a human body part, thankfully, but rather a chunk of a pig's hind leg.
"Of course! It's so much fun to watch the kids make terrified faces when they see them."
"You have a twisted sense of humor, don't you?"
She finds it fun to watch kids get scared? As I muttered to myself, Wijiak chimed in.
"Dead people don't show any emotion, you see. Since I spend my days handling corpses, watching the kids scream, cry, and run away in terror makes me feel the vibrant warmth of life... You could say it's a kind of survival instinct, right?"
Hearing her say such things with a gloomy face, followed by a soft chuckle, was genuinely bizarre. I could finally understand why the students were so terrified of her.
"Wow, that really is a twisted hobby."
"I don't want to hear that from a brat. All you kids do is whine and complain all day."
When Man Hanseok spoke up, looking utterly appalled, Wijiak playfully stuck her tongue out at him.
In any case, the age gap between the former Sword Queen, Chaehwa, and Wijiak had to be that of a grandmother and granddaughter at the very least. I had heard that Chaehwa was of the same generation as the master of Seonwoo Dan, the Heavenly Demon and Seonwoo Seol's father. Yet, the person who had interacted with Chaehwa the most, second only to the current Sword Queen, looked to be around my age. It was baffling.
"What exactly is your relationship with the former Sword Queen?"
"Hmm, my relationship with Grandma Chae... I suppose we were very close neighbors who visited each other often?"
Grandma Chae? She addressed the legendary former Sword Queen as if she were just some elderly lady next door.
"To call yourselves neighbors, aren't the Mocan Sect and Botamun quite far apart?"
"You ask that even though you know the current state of our Mocan Sect?"
"Ah, my mistake."
Realizing I had made a slip of the tongue, I bowed my head in apology.
While Gongson Yeongji's family, the Gongson Clan, had fallen into sudden peril over the last few years, the Mocan Sect was a clan that had been slowly declining over several decades.
They say there is no nobility in professions, but people naturally have preferences. The same applied to the Jianghu. Especially when the profession involved Jiangshi arts, which relied on human and animal corpses. Unless someone had highly eccentric tastes, such a sect was bound to lose its influence.
Since everyone knew their plight, it was undoubtedly a blunder on my part. It wasn't a sin worthy of begging for death, but it certainly warranted an apology.
"Then, what is the relationship between the Mocan Sect and Botamun?"
At Seonwoo Seol's question, Wijiak replied slowly.
"The Mocan Sect is located in Jiangsu, but we are far from the provincial capital. In fact, we are closer to Botamun's Sword Pavilion. Since we're right on the border of Zhejiang, it's actually faster to travel by boat."
"Since you were so close, I assume you received a lot of help from Botamun?"
"Naturally. But Botamun isn't a massive sect like the Nine Great Sects and One Union, so it was difficult for them to constantly come to our aid."
"And that was when the former Sword Queen stepped in."
"Exactly. She claimed she was tired of raising disciples and began staying at our Mocan Sect frequently, helping us with various matters. I used to follow Grandma Chae around everywhere, treating her like my own flesh-and-blood grandmother."
Wijiak wore a nostalgic smile as she recalled those days. Though, at a glance, it still looked rather eerie.
I had heard of minor sects forming alliances to bolster their strength, but I never imagined such a deep bond existed between the Mocan Sect and Botamun.
"If you don't mind, could I ask you a few questions about the former Sword Queen?"
"You said you had business with me, but you've done nothing but ask about Grandma Chae... Are you interested in her?"
"There's a reason for that."
Since we weren't in a position to lie, nor did we have any reason to, I explained everything that had led us here.
I revealed that the former Sword Queen, Chaehwa, was losing her strength due to old age, and that we wanted to replicate the dish she had eaten when she first entered Botamun to help her regain her vitality.
"Oh my goodness...!"
"Uh, Instructor Wijiak?"
Drip, drip. Wijiak's eyes welled up with tears, and thick, heavy drops began to roll down her cheeks.
Uh-oh. I think I touched a sensitive nerve.
"Grandma Chaeeeee!"
She wailed at the top of her lungs.
Anyone watching would think she was on her deathbed. I had only mentioned that she was losing her strength compared to before, so why was she suddenly crying like a squirrel that had lost its acorns?
"No, look, that's why I'm asking for stories of her past—so we can help her regain her strength. Please stop crying."
Unable to watch any longer, I handed her a handkerchief. Instead of just dabbing her eyes, she practically washed her face with it. And then she blew her nose. Seriously, I was going crazy.
"Snort!"
"Ah..."
This is a bit much... To some, this might be a reward, but to me, it was just a biohazard. My handkerchief was ruined...
I tossed the handkerchief she handed back onto a corner of the table and focused on my questions.
"First, I'd like to ask about the former Sword Queen's hometown. It's fine if you don't know the exact name of the village, but could you tell me the general area?"
Sniffling, Wijiak replied in a stuffed-up voice.
"Grandma Chae's hometown is a bit far from Botamun, but it should be in the same Zhejiang Province. However, it's in the mountains, not near the coast."
Right. Zhejiang was famous for its mountainous terrain. It had so many mountains that it was safe to assume any area not bordering the coast or a river was mountainous.
"And... I think she said she was extremely poor when she was young. Her father had only recently started working as a herb gatherer, and her mother was suffering from some illness, if I recall correctly."
"Ah, is that why she can't digest meat?"
"Yes. Since she barely ate any meat growing up, her stomach simply couldn't tolerate it even after she became an adult."
For a novice herb gatherer, meat was an unimaginable luxury. If they were lucky, they might occasionally get some wild game, but they couldn't bring it home often. Moreover, since Botamun was a sect rooted in Buddhist traditions, a vegetarian diet would have been deeply ingrained in her. She would have had even fewer opportunities to taste meat. It all made sense now.
"To be precise, she can't eat the meat of four-legged animals like cows, pigs, or sheep. She did eat seafood occasionally, and she often enjoyed Yozubeo because she liked its chewy texture."
This aligned with what On Ban-hui had said, so I understood that part. But then, a contradiction arose.
"You say the former Sword Queen can't eat meat, but that conflicts with what I heard from her."
"In what way?"
"The dish we are looking for is described as a 'vegetarian dish that tasted better than meat.' Doesn't that imply she had tasted meat before that?"
Wijiak tilted her head at my words. It was indeed a contradictory statement.
"It's certain that she can't eat meat. She even spat out the meat I grilled after chewing it a few times."
"Whoa, how can anyone chew meat and then spit it out?"
As Man Hanseok muttered to himself in disbelief, Wijiak asked with a slightly twisted smile.
"Hey there, big student. There are all kinds of people in this world, so shouldn't you try to be more understanding?"
"Oh, no, that's not what I meant..."
Man Hanseok flinched, sensing he had stepped into a trap. Unbothered by his reaction, Wijiak let out a soft chuckle and began stroking a large specimen resting on the table.
"I happen to be in need of an eight-foot-tall experimental subject... If you keep interrupting when the adults are talking, I might just use you as one."
"I-I'll pass."
"So, if you have a question or something to say, raise your hand first."
"Y-Yes, ma'am."
She was indeed the Ghost Girl of the Northern Pavilion. Young as she was, an instructor was still an instructor, and she was a master at keeping the students in line.
After intimidating Man Hanseok, Wijiak offered a conclusion to my question.
"Perhaps the problem lies in the premise of your question, Chef Yoon."
"The premise was wrong? What do you mean by that?"
"Why did you assume it was a vegetarian dish that tasted 'better than meat'? For someone who couldn't eat meat her entire life."
"Well, because it literally tasted better than whatever meat dish she had tried before entering Botamun?"
"I think it's the opposite."
Wijiak paused for a beat, tracing her finger along the table before speaking.
"What if the 'meat' Grandma Chae ate before entering Botamun wasn't actually meat at all?"
As Wijiak smiled with half-closed eyes, a bolt of lightning seemed to strike my mind.
"Ah!"
I had finally found the clue.
Seonwoo Seol, Gongson Yeongji, and I were walking through the market in Poeun County.
It was a bustling place that sold everything under the sun, reminiscent of a traditional Korean market where you could find absolutely anything.
As for where Man Hanseok went? He had ultimately caught Wijiak's fancy. She had grabbed him by the shoulder and asked me:
"He looks quite strong. Do you mind if I borrow him for a bit?"
"Take him. He's all yours."
"Wait, Chef Yoon!"
"Chef Yoon just sold you out!"
"Kyahahaha!"
With that wicked laughter, Wijiak grabbed Man Hanseok by the wrist and dragged him into the shadows. It was a truly terrifying sight, but hey, as long as it wasn't me.
In any case, visiting the market in front of the academy after so long felt refreshing. It was like visiting a local five-day market back home.
Seonwoo Seol, wearing light makeup over her disguise, held Gongson Yeongji's hand tightly as she asked.
"So, what did you decide on?"
"Since the former Sword Queen's father was a herb gatherer, it must have been something that could be found in the mountains."
"Then... mushrooms?"
"Yes. I'm planning to buy some mushrooms, but I'm not sure if we can find them."
"Are you looking for pine mushrooms?"
Pine mushrooms were a luxury, both in the past and present. Back in Korea, I never had the chance to eat them, and here in the Central Plains, they were far too expensive to even consider. For that kind of money, I'd rather buy a whole box of shiitake mushrooms and make some delicious pan-fried shiitake patties.
"Pine mushrooms have an incredibly strong aroma, so if the former Sword Queen had eaten them, she would have realized it immediately. Besides, they're far too expensive to be given to a mere novice disciple."
"So it's a mushroom that's hard to find, but not as expensive as pine mushrooms?"
"Bingo."
Our destination today was the house of a professional herb gatherer. I needed wild mushrooms freshly harvested from the mountains, not ones grown on logs. We headed toward the home of a gatherer I had known since my days working at the Outer Dining Hall.
"Ah..."
As we neared the gatherer's house, Gongson Yeongji suddenly sniffed the air, a blissful expression spreading across her face. Wondering what was going on, I took a sniff myself.
"You have a sharp nose. How did you notice?"
"...I wonder?"
Both Seonwoo Seol and I were astonished. I had no idea how she had picked up on a scent so faint that even a Peak Master could barely detect it.
"Ah, Chef Yoon!"
"Layman Choi."
A lean, sun-bronzed middle-aged man waved at us. Layman Choi was famous around Poeun for harvesting high-quality mushrooms and herbs. In fact, most of the herbs I used, as well as those in the local apothecaries, were sourced with his help. Seeing him spreading mushrooms out on a wooden bench, I asked:
"Are you drying mushrooms?"
"The county magistrate requested some dried Reishi mushrooms. So, I've been carefully selecting the unblemished ones to dry."
The scent we had caught before arriving was indeed the aroma of Reishi. Seeing Gongson Yeongji recognize the scent of Reishi mushrooms instantly felt a bit surreal.
"With senses as sharp as yours, our Yeongji is bound to become a supreme master one day."
I patted Gongson Yeongji on the head and turned to Layman Choi.
"I'm looking for a specific mushroom, but I'm a bit pressed for time."
"If it's a mushroom our Chef Yoon is looking for, I'd stay up all night to find it. What are you searching for?"
"Lion's Mane mushrooms."
The moment the words left my mouth, Layman Choi grinned.
"I didn't expect a customer to ask for that specific one."
"Do you have any?"
"I don't have any on hand right now, but if I ask around a few fellow gatherers, I'm sure we can find some. Come back around this time tomorrow, and I'll have a basketful ready for you."
"Ah, I knew I could count on you, Layman Choi."
"Hahaha!"
After giving him an advance so he could purchase them from the other gatherers, we said our goodbyes. Once we parted, Seonwoo Seol asked in a quiet voice:
"What kind of mushroom is it to make him react like that?"
"Pine mushrooms are high-grade delicacies presented as tribute to the Emperor, right? They became famous as 'luxury ingredients' because it's far more profitable to sell them than to eat them yourself."
"True."
"Lion's Mane is the exact opposite."
"The exact opposite?"
I recalled the mushroom, which I had only tasted once during my days as a woodcutter, and smiled.
"It's a mushroom that is far better to eat yourself than to sell to others."
That was the true nature of the Lion's Mane mushroom.